Hinge

ABSTRACT

A DOOR HINGE HAS TWO PORTIONS OR COMPONENTS, ONE AFFIXED TO THE DOOR FRAME AND THE OTHER TO THE DOOR WITH MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN THE COMPONENTS FOR RESILIENTLY URGING THEM TOGETHER. IF FORCE IS APPLIED TO THE DOOR, FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT IS BANGED, HUNG ON, OR FORCED OPEN TOO FAR, THE TWO HINGE PORTIONS WILL YIELDABLY SEPARATE TO MINIMIZE DAMAGE TO THE DOOR, THE FRAME, THE HINGE, OR ALL THREE. THE HINGE ALSO IS DESIGNED TO URGE THE DOOR SHUT WHEN IT IS PARTLY OPEN AND FURTHER, TO URGE THE DOOR BEYOND THE CLOSED POSITION, WHEN CLOSED, SO THAT NO LATCH IS NEEDED FOR THE DOOR. THE NEW HINGE HAS OTHER ADVANTAGES OVER PREVIOUSLY KNOWN LATCHLESS DOOR HINGES IN THAT THE NEW HINGE IS SELF-ALIGNING, IMPARTS NO RESISTANCE AS THE DOOR IS BEING OPENED, AND CAN URGE THE DOOR TOWARD THE CLOSED POSITION WHEN OPENED AT A WIDER ANGLE THAN HERETOFORE.

June 29, 1971 R. D. M DONALD 3,588,946

HINGE Filed Feb. '7, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 p ii f W 20 F P w INVENTOR:

2 HUBEETHMMDUNALD. I BY I E 4 AT T Y8.

June 29, 1971 R. D. M DONALD 3,588,945

HINGE Filed Feb. 7, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HUBBRTHMADDUNALJJ United States Patent 3,588,946 HINGE Robert D. MacDonald, Adrian, Mich., assignor to Cardinal of Adrian, Inc., Adrian, Mich. Filed Feb. 7, 1969, Ser. No. 797,506 Int. Cl. E061: [/12 US. Cl. 16-180 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A door hinge has two portions or components, one affixed to the door frame and the other to the door with means connected between the components for resiliently uring them together. If force is applied to the door, for example, if it is banged, hung on, or forced open too far, the two hinge portions will yieldably separate to minimize damage to the door, the frame, the hinge, or all three. The hinge also is designed to urged the door shut when it is partly open and further, to urge the door beyond the closed position, when closed, so that no latch is needed for the door. The new hinge has other advantages over previously known latchless door hinges in that the new hinge is self-aligning, imparts no resistance as the door is being opened, and can urge the door toward the closed position when opened at a wider angle than heretofore.

This invention relates to a hinge and more particularly to a door hinge having two portions which are resiliently urged together in cooperating relationship.

A door hinge in accordance with the instant invention has two portions or components one of which is aflixed to a door frame and the other of which is ailixed to a door. One of the portions has a projection which cooperates with a recess or socket on the other portion to enable the two portions to pivot relative to one another and enable the door to be opened and closed. For this purpose, the projection preferably has an arcuate shape in cross section taken in a plane perpendicular to the axis about which the door pivots.

The hinge further incorporates resilient means which holds the two components together with the projection in engagement with the recess. The resilient means, however, enables the two hinge portions to yieldably separate to enable the door to yield relative to the frame if subjected to abuse, such as being bumped or banged, hung on, or opened too far. This minimizes the possibility of damage to the door, to the hinge, or even to the door frame, in the event of such abuse.

The hinge is also designed so that the resilient means urges the door toward the closed position when it is open and tends to urge the door beyond the closed position even when closed. Consequently, the door can be used without any latch required whatsoever, thereby eliminating the cost of the latch and the cost of installing it. The elimination of the latch also eliminates the possibility of the mis-alignment of the latch components in the event of warping of the door, etc.

While latchless door hinges have been known heretofore, the instant hinge has several advantages. The new hinge can urge the door toward the closed position when opened at a wider angle, up to 90, if desired. The new hinge also does not offer initial resistance to the opening of the door as has occurred with previous hinges of the latchless type. Also, when the new hinges are made with the components in the form of a ball and socket configuration, the hinges will function satisfactorily on a door even if they are somewhat out of alignment. The tension of the resilient means urging the two hinge portions together can also be varied to enable the hinge to accommodate doors of various sizes and weights.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide a hinge having two hinge portions resiliently urged together but capable of being yieldably separated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge of the latchless type having the advantages discussed above.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view in elevation of a door and a door frame employing hinges according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary view in transverse cross section taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but with the door open at a angle to the frame;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but with the door open at a angle to the closed position of FIG. 2 and with the hinge components or portions separated slightly;

FIG. 5 is a front view in elevation of a portion or component of the hinge;

FIG. 6 is a view in transverse cross section of the component of FIG. 5 and taken along the line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view in perspective of another portion or component of the hinge embodying the invention;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view in elevation, with parts broken away and with parts in cross section, of a door frame and a door with a door hinge having the features of the hinge of FIGS. 1-7, but with the hinge portions reversed in their positions with respect to the door frame and door;

FIG. 9 is a view in horizontal cross section taken along the line 99 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a front view in elevation of a portion or component of a slightly modified hinge embodying the lnvention;

FIG. 11 is a view in cross section taken along the line 1111 of FIG. 10 and showing a cable connection in dotted lines;

FIG. 12 is a view in elevation, with parts broken away and with parts in cross section, of another hinge portion or component used with the hinge component of FIGS. 10 and 11; and

FIG. 13 is a left-end view of the component of FIG. 12.

Referring to FIG. 1, a door 20 is pivotally supported on a door frame 22 by hinges 241 embodying the invention. The door frame 22 can be of any suitable design or construction and defines a cabinet opening 26 covered by the door. The door 20 can be of any suitable construction but, as shown, is of the overlay type with beveled edges 28.

The hinge attached to the door and frame is shown more particularly in FIGS. 24. The hinge 24 includes a first portion or component 30 aifixed to the door frame 22 and a second portion or component 32 aflixed to the door 20, in this instance. The components 30 and 32 can be affixed to the frame and door in any suitable manner but, as shown, the component 30 includes a hinge leaf or plate 34 having suitable openings 36 through which screws 38 are driven into the frame 22. The hinge plate 34 has an extension 40 (FIG. 5) at one edge thereof terminating in an upwardlyextending flange 42 (FIG. 6) which supports a projection 44 which, in the form shown, is substantially spherical. The spherical projection 44 has a central groove or slot 46 therein which almost separates the spherical projection 44 into two halves, except for a connection or connecting portion 48. The portion 48 forms an included angle of about 90 while the groove 46 forms the remaining angle of about 270 as taken about the center of the spherical projection 44. These angles can be varied, however, depending on the desired open position of the door at which the hinge will begin its closing action. An opening 50 is formed below the connecting portion 48 approximately at the point where the flange 42 meets the spherical projection 44.

The second hinge portion 32 is suitably affixed to the door and, as shown, is received in a recess or bore 52 drilled in the beveled hinge edge 28 of the door 20. The hinge portion 32 has two cylindrical portions 54 and 56 (FIG. 7). The entire component 32 can be of a single large diameter, if desired, but by reducing the diameter of the portion 54, the bore 52 in the door 20 can be correspondingly smaller at its inner end. The smaller cylindrical portion 54 forms a cylindrical inner chamber 58 and the larger cylindrical portion 56 forms a recess 60 which cooperates with the spherical projection 44 of the hinge portion 30. The recess 60, as shown, is of conical shape but can be of spherical shape to fit more fully with the spherical projection 44, if desired. The conical shape, however, is easier to form and enables the hinge 24- to function satisfactorily. At the apex of the recess 60 is a short passage or hole 62 connecting the recess 60 with the cylindrical inner chamber 58.

A flexible, elongate member or cable 64 extends between the hinge portions 30 and 32 to urge them together with the projection 44- in engagement with the recess 60. The cable 64 extends through the opening 62 and centrally through a spring 66 and a washer or ring 68 where it terminates in a swaged ball or stop 70. The opposite end of the cable 64 extends through the opening 50 in the hinge portion 30 where it terminates in a second swaged ball or stop 72. The spring 66 is under compression at all times so that the components 30 and 32 are urged together with the projection 44 urged into the recess 60. The size and stiffness of the spring 66 can be changed to accommodate doors of various sizes and shapes.

With the particular position of the opening 50 in the first hinge portion 30 and with the position of the connection 48, the cable 64 will pass through the groove 46 to one side of the center of the spherical projection 44 in all positions of the door 20 from the closed position of FIG. 2 to a position in which the door is substantially 90 open, as shown in FIG. 3. Consequently, with the door in any position between these two positions, the cable 64, being under tension, will urge the door toward the closed position of FIG. 2. Further, even with the door in the closed position of FIG. 2, the cable 64 will still be in tension and the spring 66 will still be under compression so that the cable will continue to urge the door even beyond the closed position. Hence, when the door is closed, it will remain tightly closed against the door frame 22 or with felt door stops 74 of FIG. 1, when used, pressed against the door frame 22. Consequently, there is no need whatsoever to employ a latch between the door and the door frame. The cost of the latch and the cost of installation of the latch, the components of which must be carefully aligned between the door and the door frame, are thereby eliminated. Even with careful alignment, warping, change in humidity, etc. often throw the latch components out of alignment and render them useless.

While hinges of the latchless type have been employed heretofore, as shown for example in my Pats. 3,205,532; 3,212,124; and 3,228,058, the hinge 24 embodying the invention has several advantages over these aforementioned latchless hinges. The hinge components 30 and 32 can yieldably separate for any position of the door relative to the frame, with the two components being shown separated in FIG. 4. This yieldable arrangement of the hinge components in particular enables the door to yield or give if subjected to a force other than a normal opening or a closing force. Thus, if the door should be opened and bumped, the door can yield relative to the frame by separation of the hinge components 30 and 32. A similar action will occur for the upper hinge 24 if, for example, a child would hang on the door when it is opened to the position of FIG. 3 or 4. The hinge components again will 4 separate if the door, when fully opened, as in FIG. 4, should be forced open farther. Consequently, with the hinge 24, damage which would otherwise result to the door, the hinge, the frame or to all three, is thereby substantially reduced and held to a minimum.

As will be apparent from FIGS. 2 and 3, as the door moves from the position of FIG. 3 toward the position of FIG. 2, the position of the cable 64 moves farther away from the center of the projection 44, thereby increasing the torque as the door moves toward the closed position. This tends to increase the closing effect of the hinge on the door as it approaches and even after it reaches its closed position. With the configuration of the connection 48, when the door moves from the 90 open position of FIG. 3 to the 180 open position of FIG. 4, the cable 64 continues to pass through the center of the projection 44, thereby having no effect on the door position.

With the spherical and conical configurations of the projection 44 and the recess 60, even if the hinges 24 are misaligned somewhat with respect to the door and the frame of FIG. 1, the hinges will still accommodate the door and enable it to open and close properly. The design of the hinge 24 also enables the door to be urged toward the closed position from a substantially 90 open position rather than when the door is at a lesser angle, as has heretofore been true of hinges of the latchless type. Further, when the door is closed and then opened, the resistance of the hinge 24 is smooth and there is no strong initial resistance of the hinge to the opening of the door, as has heretofore been true of latchless hinges. The hinge 24 also can accommodate doors of various sizes and shapes simply by changing the tension on the cable 64 through the design of the spring 66.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, a modified hinge 78 is similar to the hinge 24 but has a first component or portion 80 affixed to a door 82 rather than to the frame, and has a second portion or component 84 affixed to a cabinet frame 86 rather than to the door. The frame 86 of the cabinet is of a different construction and forms at least part of a sidewall of the cabinet, in this instance, as well as the front frame. The door 82 is of the overlay type as is the door 20 but has a different edge configuration and includes a notch 88 to accommodate and conceal part of the hinge. The hinge 80 is otherwise similar in design and operation to the hinge 24 with the cable designated 64 being offset to the side of the spherical projection designated 44 and remaining offset from the projection center until the door reaches a 90 position. Of course, the configuration of the connection 48 can be varied to change the position in which the effect of the cable will urge the door toward the closed position.

Referring to FIGS. 10-13, a slightly modified hinge having modified portions or components 90 and 92 differs from the hinge 24 primarily in the shape of the projection and recess. In this instance, a projection 94 on the hinge portion 90 is cylindrical rather than spherical. A recess 96 in the second portion 92 is shown also as being partly cylindrical with a central triangular groove or slot 98 formed to enable the cable 64, shown in dotted lines in FIG. 11, to pass through an opening 100 corresponding to the opening 62. Rather than being semi-cylindrical, the recess 96 can be of triangular cross-sectional shape throughout its length to receive the cylindrical projection 94.

The hinge of FIGS. 10-13 has similar advantages to the hinges 24 and 78 although the hinge, in this instance, must be aligned somewhat more carefully since the selfaligning feature of the hinge 24 is not as prevalent. In any event, it may be noted that both of the projections 44 and 94 are circular or arcuate in transverse cross section taken through a plane perpendicular to the axis about which the door opens.

Various modifications of the above described embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is to be understood that such modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, the modifications being shown primarily for illustration and not limitation.

I claim:

1. A hinge of the latchless type to connect a door to a frame, said hinge comprising a first hinge portion adapted to be aflixed to one of said door and said frame, a second hinge portion adapted to be affixed to the other of said door and said frame, said first hinge portion forming a projection having a surface which is arcuate in a cross section taken in plane perpendicular to the axis about which the door pivots and with the center of the are being substantially in line with the pivotal axis of the door, said second portion forming a recess to receive said projection and further forming a chamber communicating with said recess, resilient means located in said chamber, and an elongate flexible member connected with said first portion and extending through said recess into said chamber and maintained under tension by said resilient means,

said flexible member thereby urging said projection into a said recess.

2. A hinge according to claim 1 characterized further by said projection having a groove therein parallel to the plane through which the cross section is taken, said elongate flexible member being received in said groove.

3. A hinge according to claim 1 wherein said projection is substantially cylindrical.

4. A hinge according to claim 1 wherein said projection is substantially spherical.

5. A hinge according to claim 4 characterized further by said recess having a circular shape in cross section taken in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the cross section.

6. A hinge according to claim 4 characterized further by a connecting portion in said groove joining the parts of said projection on each side of said groove, said flexible member bearing against said connecting portion at least when the door is in a predetermined open position.

7. A hinge to pivotally connect a door to a frame so that the door will close tightly without a latch, said hinge comprising:

a first portion adapted to be affixed to one of said door and said frame;

a second portion adapted to be affixed to the other of said door and said frame;

said first hinge portion including a projection having a convex exterior surface which is circular in a crosssectional plane taken perpenicular to the door pivot axis, said circular surface being substantially concentric with the door pivot axis;

said second hinge portion including a socket for receiving said projection of said first hinge portion;

said projection of said first hinge portion having a groove lying in a plane perpendicular to said door pivot axis, the extent of said groove approximating the sector swept by a radial line from said door pivot axis to the bottom of said projection-receiving socket as said door moves from its full open position to a point beyond its closed position;

an elongated flexible member having a first end anchored in said first hinge portion and a second end anchored in said second hinge portion, the intermediate portion of said flexible member extending through said projection groove, said groove thereby providing a path for movement of said intermediate portion of said flexible member as said door moves about its pivot axis;

resilient means for maintaining said flexible member in tension so that said flexible member continuously urges said projection into said socket;

the contour of said groove and the anchorage points for said ends of said flexible member being arranged so that the tension of said flexible member generates a door closing force when the door is in its full closed position and throughout a predetermined range of the partially open positions of said door, while generating no such closing force when said door is open beyond said predetermined range.

References (Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 576,131 2/1897 Koennemann 16-190 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner D. L. TROUTMAN, Assistant Examiner 

